Cigarette making machines

ABSTRACT

A cigarette making machine for do-it-yourself cigarette production and being selectively operable to produce cigarettes of the plain-end, regular size filter-tipped, or king-size filter-tipped varieties is disclosed. The machine consists of a housing and a stationary tobacco compacting member and a movable tobacco compacting member operable by a lever and a handle, to move toward the stationary member to compact a tobacco charge therebetween. A second handle carrying a tobacco injection rod and a parallel cam rod movable to inject the tobacco charge into a cigarette tube positioned on a nipple provided on the frame. The cam rod being operable on a tube retaining lever mounted on the frame to hold the retaining lever in contact with the nipple and the cigarette tube mounted thereon during injection of the tobacco. The improvement consisting of providing the cam rod with various cross-sections for selective movement of the retaining lever with respect to the nipple depending upon the length of the tobacco receiving recess in the cigarette tube being filled.

United States Patent Kastner Sept. 5, 1972 [54] CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES [72] Inventor: Arnold Kastner, 10220 Armand Lavergne, Montral North 460, Canada [22] Filed: Jan. 27, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 110,077

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 23, 1970 Canada ..0756l8 52 us. Cl ..131/70 51 Int. C1 ..A24c 05/42 [58] Field of Search ..131/70, 75

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,127,900 4/1964 Kastner ..131/70 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 447,878 4/1948 Canada ..131/70 448,370 5/1948 Canada ..131/70 230,916 2/1911 Germany ..131/70 Primary ExaminerSamuel Koren Assistant Examiner-J. F. Pitrelli Attorney-Meyer, Tilberry & Body [57] ABSTRACT A cigarette making machine for do-it-yourself cigarette production and being selectively operable to produce cigarettes of the plain-end, regular size filtertipped, orking-size filter-tipped varieties is disclosed. The machine consists of a housing and a stationary tobacco compacting member and a movable tobacco compacting member operable by a lever and a handle, to move toward the stationary member to compacta tobacco charge therebetween. A second handle carrying a tobacco injection rod and a parallel cam rod movable to inject the tobacco charge into a cigarette tube positioned on a nipple provided on the frame. The cam rod being operable on a tube retaining lever mounted on the frame to hold the retaining lever in -contact with the nipple and the cigarette tube mounted thereon during injection of the tobacco. The improvement consisting of providing the cam rod with various cross-sections for selective movement of the retaining lever with respect to the nipple depending upon the length of the tobacco receiving recess in the cigarette tube being filled.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEnsEP 5l972 3.688.171

saw 1 ur 2 CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES The present invention relates to cigarette making machines, and to cigarette making machines of the hand-held do-it-yourself variety for domestic use.

Machines according to the invention are used with preformed cigarette tubes and bulk tobacco, with the machine compacting a charge of tobacco filler of cylindrical shape and inserting the tobacco charge into a cigarette tube positioned on a nipple on the machine.

Machines of this general type are available on the market and some units are most efficient and troublefree giving many years of satisfactory service. However, many such known units are relatively expensive and are primarily purchased by individuals for use on a large scale, and for many years and especially at present when roll-your-own cigarettes are finding more and more favor in view of their lower cost, there has been a need for a somewhat less expensive variety of cigarette making machine which will satisfy the requirements of a large number of the smoking public with a minimum of expense and yet provide trouble-free and efficient operation.

The cigarette making machine of the present invention is an improvement over the machine illustrated and described in Canadian Pat. No. 447, 878, issued Apr. 13, 1948 to Louis H. Baron assignee of David Bedard. The machine according to the patent consists of a housing and a stationary tobacco compacting member and a movable tobacco compacting member slideable toward the stationary member by means of a pivotally mounted lever and handle. The tobacco charge to be inserted into a cigarette tube is positioned between the two members and compacted therebetween to form a cylindrical charge. The cylindrical tobacco charge is then displaced by means of a spoon member from between the two members into a cigarette tube positioned on a nipple and in axial alignment with the spoon. The tube is held on the nipple by a retainer plate which is operable to release the tube when it becomes filled with tobacco. The operation of the machine is most satisfactory when the machine is used with plainend regular length cigarette tubes but it is inoperative when used with regular length filter-tipped or king-size filter-tipped tubes. In both the cases of regular size filter-tipped tubes and king-size filter-tipped tubes, the length of the actual tobacco charge is less than with regular length plain-end cigarettes, with the result that when filter-tip or king-size filter-tip tubes are used with the machine of Canadian Pat. No. 447,878 the retainer plate does not release the tube when the cigarette tube is full of tobacco and the continuing forward movement of the spoon carrying the tobacco charge into the tube will rip the paper of the tube resulting in an unsatisfactory cigarette.

As the use of filter-tip cigarette tubes is finding more and more favor with the purchasing public, it has become necessary to provide a machine which is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate tubes of regular size plain-end and filter-tipped varieties. The length of the tobacco compartment in a regular size filtertipped tube is less than for plain-end cigarettes and a machine set for one or other of these lengths will not accommodate the other length without adjustment.

The machine of the present application attains these requirements, resulting in a-machine which is inexpensive and compact in construction, easy to operate,

durable and long-lasting in use and which will selectively accommodate cigarette tubes of either regular size plain-end or regular size filter-tipped length with a quick and easy adjustment.

The machine according to the present invention will now be more specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is an end view of the machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the cigarette tube retaining lever;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of component parts of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top sectional view taken generally along line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a top sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3 but wherein the retaining lever has been moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a detailed side view of a suitable spring assembly which is secured to a flange provided on the retaining lever' to hold the lever in selected position.

FIG. 9 is a view of a further constructional embodiment of a cam rod which may be used with the machine according to the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view of a further constructional embodiment of a cam rod which may be used with the machine according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in FIG. 1, the machine shown generally by numeral 2, consists of a housing or casing 4 having a tobacco receiving chamber 6 with bottom plate 8. Tobacco placed in the chamber 6 is compacted by movement of lever 10 provided with handle 12, and is displaced in compacted cylindrical shape from the chamber 6 into a cigarette tube 13 (shown in broken lines in FIG. I) placed on nipple 14 by inward movement of handle 16 to which is secured integral tobacco injection rod 18 and spoon 20 (see FIG. 5).

The cigarette tube 13 is held on nipple 14 during the injection of the cylindrical tobacco charge by tube retaining lever 22 the position of which is controlled by cam rod 24 which, like injection rod 18, is secured at one end to handle 16. The injection rod 18, which is integral with spoon 20, is parallel with cam rod 24, and both rods pass completely through the frame 4, and their respective positioning with frame 4 is controlled by handle 16 to which they are both secured in parallel. The lever 22 may be provided with a suitable resilient covering such as shown at 23.

The compacting of tobacco in chamber 6 will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4. In FIG. 2, the chamber 6 is in open position to receive a charge of tobacco, that is, lever 10 is rotated to move movable compacting block 26 away from stationary block 28; and handle 16 has been moved outwardly from the machine to remove injection rod 18 from chamber 6 leaving only integral injection spoon 20 in the chamber 6 With reference to FIG. 4 it will be seen that lever 10 is pivotally mounted on plate 30 by pivot pin 32, with the inner end 34 of lever pivotally secured to link 36 by means of pivot pin 38. The other end of link 36 is pivotally secured to bottom movable plate 8 by pivot pin 40 which passes through slot 40 provided in plate 30 and bottom plate 8. The bottom plate 8 is secured to the movable block 26 in a manner shown in FIG. 2. From the views shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be appreciated that movement of movable block 26 with respect to stationary block 28 to compact tobacco therebetween is controlled by handle 12 and lever 10. The block 26 is shown in tobacco receiving position in FIGS. 2 and 4; with the broken lines in FIG. 4 indicating the position of handle 12 and lever 10 when the block 26 is in tobacco compacting position.

With the cigarette tobacco charge compacted in chamber 6, against concave spoon 20, the shoulder 44 formed on the inner end of injection rod 18 will displace the tobacco charge 'from the compartment 6 out through hollow nipple l4 and into the cigarette tube 13, upon inward movement of handle 16.

During injection of the tobacco charge into the tube 13, the tube is held on nipple 14 by retaining lever 22 which is pivotally secured to frame 4 by pivot pin 46 which is movably positioned in a slot 48 (which is shown as being arcuate) provided in 'theside of the frame. The action of retaining lever 22 against the nipple 14 is governed by the cam action of cam rod 24 against a lower cam surface 50 provided on the retaining lever 22. g

A preferred form of the cam rod 24 is shown in FIG. 5, with the rod being in the form of a U-shape or channel having two rails 52 and 54 provided therein. For purposes of clarity the parallel injection rod 18 and spoon 20 also secured to handle 16 are also shown in FIG. 5.

The upper surfaces of the rails 52 and 54 provide cam surfaces 56 and 58 respectively to act upon the lower cam surface 50 of retaining lever 22. When pivot pin 46 of retaining lever 22 is in the left hand position A (FIG. 6) of the arcuate slot 48, surface 50 of the retaining lever will bear against cam surface 56, while when the pivot pin 46 is in the right hand position B'as shown in FIG. 7, the surface 50 will bear on cam surface 58 during movement of the cam rod 24.

Each of the cam surfaces 56 and 58 are provided with downward cut-outs or recesses 60 at the end of the rod 24 remote from the handle 16, whereby when handle 16 is retracted from the machine in the position shown in FIG. 1, the retaining lever 22 is free to drop into either of the recesses 60 and away from contact with nipple 14 to permit the fitting of a cigarette tube onto the nipple. The retaining lever 22 will drop away from the nipple 14 either due to the natural effect of gravity or under suitable spring action such as that provided by spring 65 as shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7 and 8,

which is attached to an inwardly directed flange 67 provided on the retaining lever.

As will be appreciated from FIG. 5, each of the rails 52 and 54 are provided with further recesses 62 and 64 respectively intermediate along their lengths, with the length of cam surface 56 being greater than that of cam surface 58.

It will be understood that when cam surface 50 of retaining lever 22 is in contact with cam surface 52 (as when pivot 46 is positioned at point A) that the retain- 4 ing lever will be held in contact with nipple 14 for a longer stroke of cam rod 24 (and injection rod 18) than when pivot 46 is in position B. As a result when one wishes to produce cigarettes having filter-tips then pivot 46 will be placed at position B; and at position A when plain-end cigarette tubes are used, inasmuch as plain-end tubes have a greater tobacco-containing length than regular length filter-tipped tubes.

In operation of the machine, handle 16 is fully retracted which permits retaining lever 22 to disengage from nipple 14 (as a result of recess 60) and enable a tube to be placed on the nipple. Lever 10 is pivoted to open chamber 6. The positioning of pivot 46 to either position A or B is selected depending upon whether plain-end or filter-tipped cigarettes are to be made, and a cigarette tube is positioned on the nipple. A supply of tobacco is then placed in chamber 6 and lever 10 rotated to compact the tobacco charge between the blocks 26 and 28. Handle 16 is then advanced which results in (I) the injection of the tobacco charge through nipple 14 into the tube, and (II) the movement of retaining lever ,22 into contact with the tube positioned on the nipple to hold the cigarette tube in place until the injection is completed. Just at the time that the injection is complete retaining lever enters recess 62 (or 64) to drop from contact with the tube and permit the completed cigarette to be displaced from the nipple by shoulder 44.

While the above discussion deals exclusively with plain-end and filter-tipped tubes, it is apparent that modification to produce cigarettes of the king-size filter-tipped variety (which have a tobacco length between that of plain-end and regular length filtertipped tubes) can be achieved simply by altering the positioning of recess 62 or 64 along the length of cam rod 24.

The machine of the invention may be constructed of any suitable materials, such as appropriate metals or alloys and plastic compositions. Additionally the portion of the retaining lever 22 which contacts the nipple may be provided with a rubber or the like covering 23 to bear against a cigarette tube.

In further embodiments of the present invention, the cam rod which acts on the retaining lever may take varying cross-sectional shapes as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. When utilizing either of the rods as shown in FIGS.

9 and 10, the retaining lever may be stationarily pivoted to the casing 4 without the necessity of providing the arcuate slot 48.

In FIG. 9, the cam rod 66 is shown as being circular in cross-section, whereas in FIG. 10 the cam rod 68 is shown as being cruciform-shaped in cross-section. In both of the cases where cam rods 66 or 68 are employed the rods are held in handle 16 by a set screw or like means thereby permitting selective rotation of the rods as desired.

In FIG. 9 a circular cross-section cam rod 66 is shown. The end of the rod 66 remote from handle 16 is provided with three recesses 70 positioned at around the circumference of the rod, and three more recesses 72, 74 and 76 are positioned intermediate the length of the rod and at varying distances from recesses 70. Each of recesses 72, 74 and 76 is of course in longitudinal alignment with one of the recesses 70. The end of the rod 66 entering the handle 16 may be of circular or squared cross-section with the result that by loosening set screw 80 the rod 66 may be withdrawn from the handle and rotated to present on the upper side one of the recesses 72, 74 and 76 (depending on whether plain-end, regular size filter-tipped, or kingsize filter-tipped cigarettes are to be made) and reinserted in handle 16 and the set-screw 80 tightened. Of course the length of the cam surface presented by the supper surfaces of the rod 66 between the recesses 70 and 72 and 70 and 74, and 70 and 76, will control the length of stroke of the rod 66 that the retaining lever 22 is held in contact with the nipple, and determine when the cigarette tube is released from the nipple.

The cam rod 68 shown in FIG. is similar to that shown in FIG. 6 with the exception that it is cruciform in cross-section with the recesses 70 and 72' and 74 and 76 being provided in the outer edges of the cruciform.

The apertures (not numbered) provided in the casing 4 of the machine will of course be of a shape similar to the cross-section shape of the cam rod provided, whether the rod be U-shaped, circular or cruciform.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A cigarette making machine consisting of a housing and a stationary tobacco compacting member positioned'in the housing and a movable tobacco compacting member slidably mounted in the housing, and a lever rotatably secured to the housing and pivotally secured to the said movable member to slide the movable member upon rotation of the lever toward the stationary member to compact a charge of tobacco therebetween, and a hollow nipple mounted external of the frame to receive the end of acigarette tube to be filled with tobacco, and a tobacco injection rod and integral spoon mounted in axial alignment with the nipple and secured to a handle, the injection rod and integral spoon being longitudinally movable between the said tobacco compacting members to displace a charge of compacted tobacco through the nipple and into the cigarette tube, and a cam rod parallel with the injection rod projecting through the housing below the nipple and secured to the handle, the upper surface of the cam rod being provided with cam surfaces and recesses, and a retaining lever pivotally mounted on the housing and projecting between the nipple and the cam rod and resting on the upper surface of the cam rod whereby longitudinal movement of the cam rod pivots the retaining lever between cigarette tube retaining position in contact with the nipple and cigarette tube releasing position out of contact with the nipple, the improvement comprising means to selectively control movement of the retaining lever with respect to the nipple, said cam rod comprising plural sets of said cam surfaces and recesses, said sets being circumferentially offset from each other.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the cam rod is in the form of a U with cam surfaces and recesses formed at selected and varying positions along the top edges of the arms of the U, and the retaining lever is pivotally mounted in an arcuate slot for selected movement toward and away from the cam rod for selectively determining which of the top edges of the U acts upon the retaining lever.

3. A mac me according to claim 1 wherein the cam rod is of cruciform cross-section, the cam surfaces and recesses provided on each of the outwardly projecting edges of the cruciform being differently spaced, and the cam rod being slectively rotatable to enable selection of the proper projecting edge.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the cam rod is of circular cross-section and is selectively rotatable, the cam rod having cam surfaces and projections on three sides, the rotation of the cam rod determining the action of the retaining lever. 

1. A cigarette making machine consisting of a housing and a stationary tobacco compacting member positioned in the housing and a movable tobacco compacting member slidably mounted in the housing, and a lever rotatably secured to the housing and pivotally secured to the said movable member to slide the movable member upon rotation of the lever toward the stationary member to compact a charge of tobacco therebetween, and a hollow nipple mounted external of the frame to receive the end of a cigarette tube to be filled with tobacco, and a tobacco injection rod and integral spoon mounted in axial alignment with the nipple and secured to a handle, the injection rod and integral spoon being longitudinally movable between the said tobacco compacting members to displace a charge of compacted tobacco through the nipple and into the cigarette tube, and a cam rod parallel with the injection rod projecting through the housing below the nipple and secured to the handle, the upper surface of the cam rod being provided with cam surfaces and recesses, and a retaining lever pivotally mounted on the housing and projecting between the nipple and the cam rod and resting on the upper surface of the cam rod whereby longitudinal movement of the cam rod pivots the retaining lever between cigarette tube retaining position in contact with the nipple and cigarette tube releasing position out of contact with the nipple, the improvement comprising means to selectively control movement of the retaining lever with respect to the nipple, said cam rod comprising plural sets of said cam surfaces and recesses, said sets being circumferentially offset from each other.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the cam rod is in the form of a U with cam surfaces and recesses formed at selected and varying positions along the top edges of the arms of the U, and the retaining lever is pivotally mounted in an arcuate slot for selected movement toward and away from the cam rod for selectively determining which of the top edges of the U acts upon the retaining lever.
 3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the cam rod is of cruciform cross-section, the cam surfaces and recesses provided on each of the outwardly projecting edges of the cruciform being differently spaced, and the cam rod being slectively rotatable to enable selection of the proper projecting edge.
 4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the cam rod is of circular cross-section and is selectively rotatable, the cam rod having cam surfaces and projections on three sides, the rotation of the cam rod determining the action of the retaining lever. 